


In The Eye of the Hurricane

by sourdough_pup



Category: Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Marines, Mentions of Character Death, Time Skips, different favor AU, mentions of abuse, mentions of getting married
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-14
Updated: 2016-02-14
Packaged: 2018-05-18 08:03:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5909890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sourdough_pup/pseuds/sourdough_pup
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eggsy pulls out the metal in a different situation; he gets a different Kingsman.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In The Eye of the Hurricane

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sebastian2017](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sebastian2017/gifts).



> Happy Valentine's Day! I hope you enjoy your gift and have a fabulous day~
> 
> For the prompt: AU pre-Kingsman where Eggsy used the medal for another reason (however many years before so long as he's still above legal age!) and Merlin's the one who goes to fix it, instead of Harry.
> 
> Thanks to my betas, who helped me so much. Also, Tadhg is pronounced "Tieg."

Joining the Marines was one of the best decisions Eggsy had ever made. It got him away from his stepfather; gave him a group of, if not friends, then at least comrades he could trust; a source of income he was proud of; and offered him badly needed structure and stimulation. So when his mum called, begging him to come home, Eggsy felt his world start to fall apart. She had been so proud of him, teary eyed when she told him how grown up he looked in his uniform, but it seemed her fear had overwhelmed her.

He lifted his head from where he had buried it in his hands, set to speak with his commanding officer and resign his commission when he caught sight of the small medal hanging in his locker. One of the few things he brought with him to training was the medal he’d received when his father died. That night was the clearest memory he had of that time. A snow globe, his mother crying, a sharply dressed man, “oxfords not brogues,” and the promise of help if he ever called the number on the back. It had been both a good luck charm and hope for the future that got him through years of abuse and poverty. He had clung to it, saving it for the day his wits and luck couldn’t get him out of the way. He’d thought of using it countless times before, but he’d always managed to find a solution. Now, though, he couldn’t think of any way to stay in the Marines, and still help his mum. He’s been saving the favor, even if there were days when he wondered if he hadn’t dreamed the whole thing, but perhaps this is what it’s meant for. Maybe it can get him through one last blow. 

Squaring his shoulders, he stood and grabbed the medal. Turning it over, he traced the numbers for the millionth time, before tapping them into his phone. He waited, tense with anticipation, as it rang.

“Customer complaints. How may I help you?”

“Um, my name’s Eggsy—sorry, Gary—Gary Unwin. My mum said to call this number if I ever needed help. I’m halfway through Marine training and she’s gone mental. I don’t want to quit training, but I can’t just leave her by herself.”

“I’m sorry, sir. Wrong number.”

“Wait, wait…Oxfords not Brogues?

“Your complaint has been duly noted, and we hope we have not lost you as a loyal customer.”

Eggsy sank down onto the bed as he heard the dial tone signaling the line disconnecting. “Fuck.” He double checked the history and when he saw he had the right number, he tossed the phone down next to him and scrubbed his face. So much for that. He took a deep breath, then blew it out slowly. He’d have to talk to his instructor, who might have a few ideas, but if the favor didn’t work, he doubted he was lucky enough for another solution. “Fucking shit. Dammit!”

He took a few minutes to get himself under control before he got up again. He was almost out the door when his phone started to ring from where he’d left it on the bed.

He stared at it long enough for it to go to voicemail. “Fuck it” He said when it started ringing again and walked back to his bed and picked it back up. “What?” 

“Gary Unwin?” 

“Who’s asking?” Eggsy huffed when he didn’t recognize the voice, especially because he didn’t know anyone with a Scottish accent that well.

“I received your complaint. I’m calling to advise you and discuss possible options. Do you have a moment?” 

Eggsy frowned suspiciously. He’d gotten hung up on then some bloke called back? If he had been available so quickly, why hadn’t he just been put on hold and transferred? He checked the number only to find it unlisted.

“Why should I believe you? You won’t even give me a name and I gotta tell you, this whole thing is suspicious as fuck.” 

He was surprised when the man laughed. “You aren’t wrong about that, lad. My name is Tadhg MacCinidh. I was helping train your father when he was killed, I’m sorry to say. He was a good man. The man who gave you the medal is currently unavailable. Your situation seemed urgent, so I thought I’d handle it myself. Do you prefer to go by Gary or Eggsy?”

“Eggsy.” Eggsy said as he sat at his desk, preparing for a potentially heavy discussion. 

“I presume based on your message that you would like to stay in the Marines?” At Eggsy’s confirmation, he continued. “Based on what I know, there are a few options: you could arrange a temporary withdrawal for a family emergency, then rejoin at a later date, but that is likely to be unsuccessful, as once you leave, I suspect your mother will make it difficult for you to rejoin.” 

“She wouldn’t do nothing to me—” Eggsy started, hackles up.

The other man interrupted. “I didn’t mean it that way, simply that it is unlikely you could sooth her fears completely and would end up staying to help her.” Eggsy couldn’t argue against that, so he stayed silent as the man spoke. “A second option would be to have a counselor and/or surveillance sent to make sure your mother is ok. You could visit in two weeks during your next break and proceed from there. A third option would be to get her involuntarily committed, though I would recommend strongly against it.”

“Yeah, no.” Eggsy agreed. “I’d rather leave the Marines than do that.”

“I suspected as much. Any thoughts on the second option?”

“I’m not sure how well it will work, but it seems like the best compromise. I just…look, I’m not sure how well that will go over with my stepfather if my mum even gives you the time of day.” Eggsy confessed, fidgeting with a pen.

MacCinidh had an answer for this, too, and Eggsy was starting to wonder who he was because he seemed to know a lot for someone who had gotten tagged to help fulfill a favor. “My people are extremely discrete and are more than capable of defending themselves. While it won’t be a long term solution, it should get her through these next two weeks and give us a chance to formulate a more sustainable plan.”

“Alright then. Um, what should I do in the meantime then? I mean, I’ll call my mum and talk to her, but for figuring out what to do past these two weeks…” 

“For now, nothing. I’ll arrange a time to meet with your commanding officer where we can sit down and discuss the situation before you visit your mother. Until then, will you be alright? I know this is a difficult situation for you and I’m glad you reached out for help.”

Eggsy’s breath caught in his throat at the concern. It had been a long time since someone had cared without qualifiers or wanting something in return. While the other had only reached out because he’d called for the favor, the favor was really about his mum and didn’t required asking after him.

He realized he’d been quiet for too long and rushed to answer. “I’m fine. A bit overwhelmed, yeah, but relieved. I’m not sure I really believed calling would work.”

“I see. Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Nah, I’ve just got to take it in and all.” Eggsy assured him.

“Very well. I will see you soon and until then, should you need further assistance, call the number on the medal and ask for Merlin.” 

“Thanks, guv.” Eggsy replied, then let himself slump over his desk. He would call home later, for now he needed to process.

\--

“Unwin!” His sergeant barked as Eggsy left the mess hall. 

Eggsy turned back, jumping to attention. “Sir!”

“You have a visitor in Commander White’s office. Report immediately.” 

“Yes, sir!” Eggsy made his way to the office. It had only been a month since he started his SBS commando training, nearly three years after he had first joined the Marines, and while it had been tiring, it was well worth the effort. His mother had even called to congratulate him, without a single mention of how dangerous it would be. The only person he hadn’t heard from was his fiancé, in fact. 

He knocked and let himself in when instructed to do so, hiding his smile at his fiancé’s presence. He had suspected it was Merlin; he was the only one with clearance and desire to come see him during training, and he always preferred meeting in person to talking over the phone, saying it felt more personal. Eggsy couldn’t help but agree. “Sir,” he saluted the Commander. 

“At ease, Mr. Unwin.” White instructed. “I borrowed your guest for a moment--our mothers are old friends. I hear congratulations are in order.”

“Thank you, Commander.” Eggsy said, shoulders loosening slightly. “I wasn’t aware you knew Tadhg. He certainly failed to mention it.”

Eggsy was surprised when White laughed. “Keeps things close to his chest, this one. I’ve monopolized him long enough. You’re free to go and, again, congratulations.” Eggsy shook the Commander’s hand when offered, before leading Merlin out. 

They were quiet until Eggsy found one of the nicer study rooms. He make sure it was empty before pulling Merlin in. He pressed up into the kiss Merlin pulled him into with a happy sigh. He was breathless when they finally pulled apart. “Hello, luv. I was wondering when I’d see you again.”

“I apologize, lad. We’ve had a busy month and I wanted to congratulate you properly.” Merlin told him as they settled down on the couch together.

Eggsy grinned at him as he cuddled closer. “I know. Harry told me. ‘A customer placed a rather large order, and you know Merlin has to oversee it all, lest someone make a mistake.’ Then he made me go look at wedding invitations.” He made a face at his fiancé. “Wedding invitations, Tadhg. I didn’t know that was even a thing, let alone that it could take four hours.”

Eggsy elbowed Merlin when he laughed. “Shut it you wanker, he’s your best friend.”

“Aye, and he thinks of you like a son.” Merlin reminded him. “He loves you and is more committed than either of us to making the wedding perfect.”

“I know. It’s nice, especially ‘cause I’ve got no bloody clue what I’m doing, but if I didn’t think he’d hunt us down and kill us, I’d suggest just stopping by the courthouse.” Eggsy wouldn’t do it, his mum and Harry were both thrilled about the wedding, as was he most of the time, but it was a bit overwhelming. Not to mention expensive. Even Harry offering to pay for part of it didn’t make it any easier.

Merlin pressed a kiss to his temple, smiling. “We’d end up in shallow graves. Speaking of which, how is your mother?”

Eggsy let him change topics. As much as Eggsy complained, Merlin knew how excited he was. “She’s doing well. Still with Dean, but last week marked two years of therapy. She got a job in June and she mentioned looking for a place of her own. Think she might finally leave him.”

“Good.” Merlin said, voice soft. “Let me know if she needs anything and you can’t arrange it from here.”

“Thanks, luv.” Eggsy sighed. 

His relationship with his mother had been rough for a few years after he called in the favor. She hadn’t taken it well at first. She’d left a few hysterical voicemails once she’d realized he was serious about not leaving the marines. If he hadn’t had the meeting with Merlin, he would have given in and gone back. Eggsy sometimes wondered what might have happened if he hadn’t used the favor; he knew his mother was honestly terrified for him and part of him still felt guilty that he hadn’t returned, but a larger part knew how badly things would have gone if he’d ended up in Dean’s apartment again.

At least Merlin had kept him well updated. His undercover therapists had had to get creative when they’d first gone to make sure she was ok—a new neighbor looking for friends, a door-to-door salesman, a religious spokesperson—until finally they’d finally gotten her out of the flat by telling Michelle she’d won an all-expense paid, three-day spa trip. They’d brought her to a lovely spa just outside London and managed to have a different therapist as her roommate as well as in most of her sessions. Ironically, it was a complete stranger who’d gotten her to open up. Merlin’s therapist had stalled on small talk—friendly, but impersonal—until Michelle had struck up a conversation with another woman whose son had joined the Marines. That mother had talked about how proud she was, despite the fear that he’d never come home, and how she saw how happy he was there compared to before. Michelle had gone quiet, Merlin told him, and agreed that she was proud of her son. She hadn’t spoken much the rest of the day, but when the therapist approached her that evening, saying she’d overheard the conversation and was concerned, she opened up. The therapist had been able to help enough that when Eggsy had visited, Michelle had at least listened and agreed to consider therapy.

It had taken nearly a year to convince her to actually go, but she’d been much happier and easier to be around for Eggsy since. Therapy for both of them had helped them reconnect; Eggsy had let go of some of the anger over her marriage to Dean and Michelle had acknowledged that her actions had hurt him. She’d started talking about his father again, too, admitting that the therapist had helped her deal with his death in ways she hadn’t been able to before. They’d compromised with phone calls and getting dinner out when Eggsy was home, no mention of Dean or suggestion that Eggsy come by the apartment. Warming to Merlin had taken time, but when Eggsy told her they’d be getting married, she was overjoyed for them and insisted on getting involved.

They lapsed into quiet, happy just to be in the other’s company, as Eggsy reflected on the past few years. Merlin had been intimidating at first, especially with Eggsy already on edge. Concern for his mother had warred with a nearly desperate desire to stay in the Marines and it had taken all he had to get through the long days of training without losing focus.

They had sat down and worked out a plan. Merlin had arranged for regular checkups and occasionally small things to make life easier. Eggsy hinted and encouraged his mother to seek therapy while meeting with a counselor of his own once a week. They set up an emergency fund if something did happen to his mother that also would go towards Michelle’s therapy once she started it. 

Perhaps that would have been the end of it, but at the end, Eggsy asked about his father. Merlin only had time for one story before he had to leave but he promised to come back with more. One visit turned into two, turned into three, and suddenly they were meeting on a semi-regular basis to talk about fantasy novels and their favorite football teams. Eggsy had finished training and been assigned a squad when he realized he was half in love with the older man and blurted out a request for a date halfway through their debate over whether or not the Lord of the Rings movies were decent adaptations. Merlin had looked surprised, but agreed.

Less than three months later, they were officially dating, and after two years they decide to get married. Michelle even offered Lee’s ring before they told her they were designing their own. 

They relaxed there, unashamed of the way they were taking advantage of Merlin’s connections to spend time together. After nearly half an hour, Merlin sighed and straightened.

“As lovely as this is, I did have another reason for coming.”

Eggsy groaned, but pulled himself up. “I should have known. Alright, what’s going on?”

“First, I’m hoping for your assistance. I know you’ve just started training, but once you’re assigned a post, I was hoping we could list you as an official Kingsman ally. Anything you think might require Kingsman’s touch you could send to me and if there was a Kingsman in need of assistance, they could come to you. There’s a bit of paper work, but I’m sure Harry’s told you how minimal it is.” Merlin explained. Eggsy nodded; he and Harry got along like a house on fire and Harry never bother to curtail his complaints or stories when Eggsy was around. Harry was the one who officially told him about Kingsman as well; as an agent, he had certain privileges that Merlin didn’t, even if Eggsy had figured enough out on his own.

“Of course.” Eggsy agreed. “I’d be happy to.”

“Thank you.” Merlin replied. “Second, it's been far too long.” He pulled Eggsy into another long kiss. Eggsy happily pressed into it and shifted so he was sitting across Merlin’s lap. It really had been too long.

\--

Eggsy knocked, then let himself into Merlin’s office. His message sounded serious and his request that Eggsy come to Kingsman’s HQ just emphasized it. Eggsy had only been to the mansion twice before, both times since they'd gotten married over a year and a half ago, once when Harry helped him sneak in to surprise Merlin for their anniversary and once to debrief when he’d assisted Lancelot on mission that had taken a rough turn. 

“Merlin?” Given the situation, it seemed appropriate to use his husband’s code name. 

His husband who looked exhausted. Eggsy frowned at the lines that had deepened, but Merlin just shook his head at him. “Eggsy, good. Come in. Eggsy, this our new Lancelot, Roxy Morton. Lancelot, this is my husband, Corporal Eggsy Unwin.”

A raised eyebrow was all the surprise the woman showed as Merlin introduced them. Eggsy offered her his hand. “Nice to meet you, Lancelot.”

“Same to you, Corporal.” She replied as she shook his hand. 

“Call me Eggsy.” Eggsy insisted. 

“Roxy, then.” She smiled, relaxing slightly.

Eggsy looked back to Merlin. “What’s going on? You were pretty vague in your message.”

Merlin sighed. “It’s rather complicated, but it turns out Richmond Valentine is going to use his free SIM cards to trigger mass violence in an attempt to decrease the population and save the earth. We discovered that Arthur had sided with him and eliminated him, however, all other agents are either of questionable loyalty or…indisposed.” Merlin hesitated, but when Eggsy shot him a questioning glance, he shook his head. Whatever it was, Merlin would explain later but for now, the mission was of greater importance.

Eggsy pushed aside burgeoning concerns of the other Kingsmen he knew to focus. “Alright, what do you need me to do?”

“Harry was having a suit made for you, correct?” At Eggsy’s nod, Merlin continued. “You aren’t associated with Kingsman, so we’ll grab the suit and send you into Valentine’s hide out as Chester King. Lancelot will be taking out his satellites while you get me access to his server. Hopefully we’ll have the system disabled before the signal goes out.”

“Aces. What are we waiting for?” 

Gathering supplies didn’t take long, simply raiding the armory closest to the hanger while Dagonet brought Eggsy's suit from the shop, and then they were in the air. Eggsy was chatting with Roxy, getting to know the newest Kingsman by exchanging stories of the marines for her time in the army, when Merlin rejoined them. Despite the tension still humming in the air, he leaned back into the hand Merlin settled on his shoulder. They both listened attentively as Merlin outlined Roxy’s role, and Eggsy made a note to check in with her after the debriefing when he noticed her stiffen. 

Eggsy was suddenly thankful for all the events he attended as a marine and Harry’s obnoxious lessons on manners as Merlin started explaining his role in more detail. A party filled with rich snobs would have been a disaster when he was younger, but training and loving, stable relationships, particularly with his husband, had gone a long way to helping him keep his cool. Now, he thought he’d manage to blend in and get what Merlin needed without being noticed.

“Any questions?” Merlin finally asked. They both shook their heads. “Very well, we have about two hours before we reach your launch site, Roxy, if there is anything you want to do while we wait.” Eggsy glanced at her, but when she shook her head, he followed Merlin to cockpit.

“Okay, luv?” He asked seriously as he settled into the copilot’s chair. He pulled one knee up to rest his head on while he observed the other man.

Merlin sighed and turned to face him. “I wish this mission was all that was happening, because it’s not even the worst of it. How well do you think you can compartmentalize, lad?”

Eggsy studied his husband, the lines in his face, the droop of his shoulders now that it was just them. He thought about how he hadn’t mentioned Harry yet, or Eggsy’s mum and sister. He twisted his wedding band around his finger and shook his head. “Not well enough. Not for this, anyway.”

“Alright, I’ll tell you after.” Merlin agreed. “Now, come here.” Eggsy didn’t need any more prompting and gratefully moved to settle in Merlin’s arms. The tension was still there, but it lessened, became more manageable in the quiet that followed. 

\--

Eggsy smiled as he heard Daisy tumble through the doorway. “We’re in the kitchen, mum!” He called out before turning back to take the scones out of the oven. “Harry, stop arguing with Roxy and finish setting the table.”

Eggsy ignored Harry’s grumbling; as much as the older man resented still being on restricted duty nine months after V-Day while his injuries healed, he was incredibly lazy sometimes. Setting the scones on the counter to cool, he turned in time to catch Daisy as she threw herself at him.

“Good morning, luv. Have you been a good girl for mum?” He asked as he swung her up to rest on his hip.

“Of course!” She exclaimed, grinning widely.

“Good enough for a kiss?” He teased.

“Eggsy!” She pouted. 

He laughed and kissed her check. “I’m sure you have been. Now, good girls get scones but only if they help Harry set the table.” He set her down as she started to squirm and watched her run out to the garden where Harry was setting up for tea. 

“Morning, babe.” His mother joined him as Merlin entered the garden through the back with the two dogs they’d adopted from those not chosen by latest batch of Kingsman recruits. 

He hugged her and kissed her cheek. “Morning, mum. How was the walk over?”

“Good. Weather’s nice, so we went to the park before we came. Maybe Daisy will stay in her seat for the whole meal.” They both smiled; Daisy was a curious child who always had to see what was on everyone’s plate. “Anything I can do to help?”

“Take the jam and cream out? I’ve just got to finish up the tea itself and we’ll be ready.” 

“Of course, luv.” Michelle didn’t bother to ask any further as she gathered the items requested; they had tea at least once a week and right after V-Day, she and Daisy had lived with them temporarily. Even now that they were in their own apartment, she knew how they kept the kitchen.

The routine was important now more than ever; after V-Day, the world had been in shambles. Despite being unknown, Eggsy hadn’t been able to get Merlin access to Valentine’s systems right away and the world had spent nearly a minute under the influence of the signal before he’d been able to get to the command center and destroy the device with grenade.

In what Eggsy thought of as karmic justice, Michelle had severely injured Dean with a meat fork; he’d been harassing her again and the ensuing fight not only left Michelle the victor but mean Daisy had been unharmed. 

Many of his friends and fellow marines had been killed or maimed in the fighting, but nearly as many had survived. Not even a week after the event, Harry had managed to contact Merlin; he and Eggsy had both nearly wept in celebration. 

The world was emptier and plenty of people had taken advantage of the chaos, but stories of human kindness had also emerged. Communities had come together to take care of each other, governments had found common ground, and, slowly, the world began to rebuild.  
Eggsy leaned back into Merlin as the older man wrapped his arms around him from behind. “You look thoughtful.”

Eggsy hummed, watching Roxy chase after his sister as she played with the dogs and his mum talk animatedly with Harry. “Just feeling grateful. Have I ever thanked you for your help, all those years ago? You went far beyond what I’d asked and without you, I wouldn’t be here.”

“Aye, you have.” Merlin assured him. “And as before, I tell you, I just did the right thing. You’re the one who took the chance and made your life better.”

“Love you, Tadhg.”

“I love you, too, Eggsy. Now let’s go eat before your sister and JB upset the table.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for the prompt! This was fun to write and one of my betas mentioned wanting to see Merlin and Eggsy dating, so I might try to come back to it later. 
> 
> I did some research on the British Royal Marines, but please let me know if I've made any mistakes!


End file.
